Cyber crimes in Germany down 6.5% in 2022, federal police say

WIESBADEN, Germany (Reuters) - Cyber crimes in Germany fell 6.5% in 2022, federal police said on Wednesday, a notable shift after a sharp increase the previous year, though authorities said the quality of the crimes was more severe.

Authorities had been on high alert for cyber attacks and related crimes in the wake of Russia's war with Ukraine.

Germany registered 136,865 incidents last year, down from 146,363 in 2021, which marked a more than 12% increase from 2020.

"It's sounds like a relief but it's not," said Martina Link, the vice president of Germany's BKA federal police.

She said many of last year's attacks reached a more critical phase earlier in the process, meaning that the "quality" of the crimes rose in their severity even though the quantity declined.

(Reporting by Tom Sims; Editing by Miranda Murray)